Europe: Small Town Austria

So I covered London and Vienna. I am half way done. I only have to cover Weiz (Small Town Austria) and then Bath, a popular tourist destination about 2 hours away from London. I stayed in London for 5 days, Vienna for 2, Weiz, a smaller town in the south of Austria with my friends who I met through a school exchange program, for 7 1/2 days, and then back to London to stay with my sister for 4 days, during which I visited Bath, and then, after my almost 3 week trip that went as quick as the weekend, the trip that changed my whole perspective on life, what is really important to me, who I am, who I am becoming and how much I really matured in 3 weeks, came to an end. The physical journey ended but the spiritual, emotional and mental journey will remain, more spontaneous and exciting than ever before.
Yes I can tell you the sites I saw, and how school was (which I will), but I want to focus on the deeper significance this trip has to me. I will now take you day by day, going through every thing I did. I won't sugar coat it or leave out things that were bad (nothing bad happened..). I mean, I was in Europe with my friends, during summer and on their last week of school. As you expected, my trip involved a lot of partying and long, cray nights, but it also involved some mellow times, strikingly beautiful places, my change in music preferences, a greater liking for the outdoors and nature, my improvement of the German language and my realization that even though the world is as big as it is, the world isn't as big.

  Everything in the world is connected. 

There are many themes that connect us all and make the world seem smaller than it is, such as family, love, friendship, entertainment, music and faith. But what did I really get out of this trip? Besides a couple of good pictures and a nice vacation? I started my vacation off just a couple days after my school year ended, excited for summer, no homework, time to relax, get a tan, be out until 2 in the morning, and sleeping in until 11 am. These are the things that every teen enjoys about summer, right? Well, this has changed for me. I've matured so much and it all seemed to start with my trip to Europe. This was the first time I really was on my own, traveling by myself, without my mom or dad. I traveled through different countries, lived in a house with people who don't even speak the same language I do, went to school in a foreign country, went to night clubs, bars, parties and even went to birthday parties (a bit different than the 8 year old birthday party at the local bowling alley). Of course it would only be natural for me to mature given the situations I experienced. I can't tell you how amazing it was though. The change is hard for to put down in words and to describe but I'm sure you can understand what I am saying.

I'm sorry. I can't do this now.

Europe: VIENNA

VIENNA
Austria

HI! I'm here again. I'm back in New Jersey (as you know). Actually,  I am at the Jersey Shore for a week with my family. It's a nice time. It's time for me to sit down for an hour and write my entry about my trip to Austria, the trip that, like London, has affected me in the most wonderful ways. I embarked on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual journey that was originally thought to be 19 days long, but hasn't left my side since. It's hid itself in suitcase and made it's way back to Jersey. My journey rests in my back pocket and goes with me everywhere. My journey is about to tell you its life story.

Hi. Okay, let's start from the beginning. I started out in London as you know, with my two sisters and my mum. We were there Monday until Friday, when we took a plane to Vienna, Austria. We took a cab ride to the hotel, which was in the first district (nicest, most expensive. Not trying to be a snob) We checked in later that night around midnight and then went to bed. I woke up at around 9 am to meet my Au pair from when I was younger. It was very exciting and great to see her again. Hi Andrea, if you're reading! She showed us around the city, took us on the tram and showed us everything! It was great. Unlike London, the weather was beautiful. Very warm and sunny. Throughout the next two days, she took us to the main shopping street, government buildings, parks, museums (my favorite- the Schonbrunn!), great restaurants and cafe shops. I'm sure I had 100 cups of tea, coffee and cake within those two days. Mhmm. It was great! With the German language being spoken and my sister's and mom having zero understanding of German, it was a little funny. My sister always tried to pronounce the street names-LOL. It was such a fail. Okay, enough about that. I want to talk about the culture, the people, the fashion, the food, the language, the smells, the architecture and everything that makes Vienna, well, a great city.

I'll cover each of these lightly, considering I was only there for two days. The food was good. Simply put. The weiner schnitzel from a small, local, very Austrian restaurants. It was the first time I had schnitzel. Ich esse sehr gerne Schnitzel! It was delicious. We went to a great breakfast joint that I couldn't tell you the name of. The portions were big. I had, hmm, an omelet. Sorry! but I doubt you really care what I had. Continuing, the food was just great. Lots of meats, breads and cheeses. We went to small cafes where I got tea and a piece of cake- es war sehr gut!

Okay. I must say, if I wasn't learning to speak German, I would hate it. I have to say that it is an ugly language. It just, isn't pretty sounding. No offense to those who speak German. I know I have daily readers from Germany and Austria. Sorry guys. But even people I met in Austria said that they don't like their language and that if they could speak any language as their mother tongue, it would be English, French or Spanish. Luckily, I wasn't in Germany, where the language is much rougher (so I've been told). I was in Austria, where many different dialects are spoken from region to region. My Au pair, who lives in Vienna but grew up in the north, said that Vienesse dialect is the most disliked dialect. What I am really saying is that the language was nicer to listen to because of the dialects.

I wasn't in Vienna long enough to tell you what the people were like, but I'm sure the people throughout Austria are similar. The people in Austria are nice. Granted I was only with nice people and like everywhere in the world, there are good and bad people. But, when we asked random Austrians for directions late one night in Graz (I'll cover Graz later), they happily told us and even engaged in conversation. When I was with my sisters and mom and we were looking for a way to get back to the hotel, we would just ask the people walking on the street to help us, and they did. Oh, everyone speaks English, by the way. Well, in Vienna at least. Like that would ever happen in New York. The Austrian people seem very approachable, friendly and helpful.

The fashion wasn't really anything. I don't know how to say it. The street fashion was just, normal. I didn't see any high fashion or super trendy outfits. However, everyone seemed to look nice. Of course there were Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton, but compared to New York and London, it wasn't as trendy, which is perfectly okay. Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention that there was this main street filled with all luxury designers. Burberry, Gucci, Montblanc, Armani, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, etc. And yes, Tellin' All readers, you know that I would have my camera with me at all times, and that I wouldn't miss taking pictures of the stores. Smile, Versace!

I was a bit upset that I didn't get to visit the famous graveyard in Vienna, where many famous musicians are buried. My trip would have been amazing if I saw a show at the world famous Vienna Opera House. Oh! Well, I can say that one night with my sister, we heard the sound of Opera and followed it. It lead us to a very cool and very hip, hmm, market? It was right outside a huge building (possibly Government). There were about 30 bars and small, outdoor restaurants set up with an Opera shown on a huge screen. It was beautiful. The screen was humongous and there were so many people. The age ranged from teens all the way to grandparents, but all were there to have a fun time. And the great part? Every night from June until September, the market would be set up and a new film, Opera or performance would occur. How awesome. Really. I was very happy that we went.

The smells weren't very distinct. However, the air was much more fresh and clear than in New York. Actually, the air was noticeably fresher in all of Austria, which was great.
The word for London is definitely grey. The word for New York is ambition (thank you Eat Pray Love!). The word for Vienna would be... hmm. Enjoyment? Beauty? Personal happiness? I can't really tell you. Andrea, or any Austrian or anyone who has been in Vienna longer than I have, please tell me what you think the word for Vienna is.

The architecture. Oh my gosh. I should have known that the buildings, the roads and especially the churches would be so beautiful. I mean, I'm in Europe, everything is beautiful. The buildings were not as small as you would think. You can't compare them to New York because nothing is like New York, but everything was much bigger than I expected. Compared to London, Vienna is much more open. Of course there are small, cobble stoned streets, but generally speaking, everything is much more spread out. The streets are wide, the buildings are big and the sidewalks are big enough for many people.

Vienna was beautiful. It is the music capital of Europe. I will never forget the city, and especially how I was in the same room where Mozart performed for one of the Hapsburg royalty. The room was at the Schonbrunn Castle. Granted I was on a tour, but it was still incredible. Wow. I will never forget it. Vienna is a great city. The weather is much better then London, the culture is much more different and exciting, the food is 100x better and the people just seem.. cooler and nicer. Although they don't dress as well, they're much more real, approachable and friendly. I will certainly be back.

Below are some pictures of my trip. I can't stress enough how impossible it is to capture the real beauty of the places I went. The pictures are good, but just don't do it justice. Oh, and now isn't the background song just perfect for my blog? Scheisse.

The city is like a fairy tale. Its a magical place.

These last couple of pictures are from a big mountain about 10 minutes outside the city. Thank you, Andrea, for taking us there. It was a very special and naturally beautiful place. Amazing.

Europe: LONDON

HI! I'M HOME. At last, I am home. I'm back from my long and amazing summer vacation to Europe. The trip that I have been so excited for ended up being even more amazing than originally thought. This trip has really changed my aspect on the world. I am much more conscience of others in the world and have been introduced to a new way of thinking and way of life. I hope that through my entries you will understand what I mean. This trip was really special and was more than just a good vacation. Aside from my physical travel, my spiritual and internal sense has grown and developed, altered and changed (for the better). I have matured more in the last 18 days (how long my trip was) than in the last 6 months at home. I was exposed to so many different types of food, music, places, people, languages, and just cultures in general.
 I have so much to tell you! There are so many stories to tell and pictures to show and it starts..... now! I'm going to tell you e-v-e-r-y single detail of my trip (this entry won't be a novel, promise!) but it will be long. I won't be offended if you don't read all of it. I'm sure that I won't even proof read it LOL. I'm going to tell you about it as how I would tell my friends. Forgive me in advance if I curse, have a spelling error or ramble on for too long. Okay! With that being said, I'll begin.

  LONDON:

I won't go day by day for London because I was with my two sisters and my mom- we just went site seeing and explored the city. The trip started off with my flight to London with my sister Allison and my mom. (my MUM)*. We took a 9 o'clock flight on Monday, July 27 and arrived in London Heathrow at 8 am London time. I slept most of the plane ride but I was still jet lagged, regardless. I got my Oyster Card for the underground and took the underground to my other sister's apartment in London. We didn't do much on the first day. Right away, I noticed how much smaller London was than I expected. The buildings, the streets, the apartments, the cars- everything was much smaller, and older! However, everything was very clean. Now thinking about what I want to say, I have so much to talk about! Should I talk about the people and fashion, the culture and atmosphere, the architecture and design of the city, the food, or just about everything? I think that me talking about everything will work the best. I do not want to leave out any details! So, while I was in London (Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri- that week.. then I flew to Austria for 10 days and then back to London for 2 1/2 days) I visited all the tourist attractions: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster (Wes-Minsta Ab-bay: How the Brits say it). My mom always said West Minister. So American. I have to say, it was all very impressive. We were very lucky with the weather- it didn't rain. LOL. I must say the weather in London is awful. If its not cold, its raining. If its not raining, its windy. It was summer time and I wore a light jacket and jeans every day. We visited a large market- all sorts of foods, drinks, deserts, etc. It was very cool. It was very crowded but the food I had was good! I had, hmm, a grilled sandwhich with a smoothie and then some sort of Australian coconut desert? Yep that sounds about right. It was good.
From the moment I walked out the Underground station I could tell that London was a very fashion-forward city. I mean, its the home of Alexander McQueen, Burberry, John Galliano, Hussein Chalayan. Come on! Some of the greatest designers in the world are British. The style is very trendy. The thought process behind every London shopper must be, which store is the most fashion forward and trendy? Brights, prints, dresses, tunics, everything. The people there dress very well. Everyone, guys and girls, had a brand name bag. I fitted in perfectly with my messenger bag my aunt bought for me. (Thanks Liz!) The most popular bags were Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Prada. I also saw many Marc Jacobs and guess what? Hermes Birkins! Yep, that's right. I saw 8 Birkin bags on my first time around in London. Granted I saw them in the most expensive and swankiest parts of town- Kensington, Chelsea, etc- but still. The fashion is very exciting. The city, for the most part, is very materialistic, but in a good way. I didn't get the feeling it was about competition or name dropping. It seemed to be more about owning the look or the person you were trying to portray. Fashion: A+. 
The food, directly put, sucked. I didn't think it was possible for food to be that bad, but London proved that you it could be. Let's start with the breakfast: Okay. I tried a typical Full English Breakfast at a Pub my first two mornings.. I figured it had to be OKAY. but no. The eggs were rubbery, the toast was somewhat stale, the tomatoes were all over the place and the bacon was so bad. I thought it could maybe just be a fluke? So, I ordered it again the next morning. Nope, no fluke.. still sucked! From then on I had cereal in my sister's apartment. The lunch was okay. We just went out to eat. The Italian food was alright. The best food in London was the oriental food. I had good Thai food and had very good Indian food! The good dinners made up for the crappy breakfasts. Nonetheless  the food was bad.  
The music scene was surprisingly much smaller than I planned. Actually, it was like music was nonexistent. It was so weird. It seemed that music wasn't very big in England. In all other parts of the world, especially cities, I would see many people walk around with their iPods or listening to music. I saw not one person listening to their iPod in London. On the underground, on the streets, at lunch, nothing! i didn't even hear Adele. LOL Although I didn't have the chance to go to a nightclub,  I hear the music there is big. My friends in Austria say that the music scene in the clubs in London is big, especially Drum & Bass. Well, I have to say I was a little disappointed by the music scene. At least I can listen to Adele, Florence + the Machine and all my other favorite Brits on my iPod.